i started with a 101, went to a 101e, then 102 and now 103. always wore an XL but a few folks on the intranet-thing said the 103 'fit differently'....on the web, ergo must be true. went to the local dealer and tried on a few...the xl in the 103 fit me just as well as all the previous models. now have about 10k miles on it and am quite pleased with, i think, lighter weight and quieter. nicest thing is the internal sunshield.

hey Tage long time no see - maybe we'll do another freezing ride at christmas to see you again :)

Just wondering - i remember seeing you in the N103 in Corsica and i meant to ask, but forgot: when you're using the intercom with S., are you using speakers or headphones to hear?

X

We have a setup from Autocom (link here). The speakers fits nicely in the space "outside" the ears - without cutting away anything.
I can feel they touch my ears, but not pressing on them at all.

[TaSK]

(As a side note: this thread was started when I was new on this forum, and very disappointed at the same time.
The title of the thread includes "don't buy". Today, I would have left out that part.
My impression of the helmet is the same: very comfortable, the built-in sun screen is excellent, but the noise is awful.
So, it is still awful, but I didn't need to add that last phrase.)

The EXO-900 is a Full face helmet, a flip front modular, and a 3/4 helmet a true 3-in-1! Quickly convert your EXO-900 from a full face helmet to an open face 3/4 helmet, the peak sun visor is included!

I had an older Nolan modular not sure what model but it was before the sun shade , changing the visor was such a PIA that it became a daytime only helmet . If I were going to ride when I might be out late I would take my old RF 1000 with its quick change tinted visor . The Nolan was by far the noisest helmet I ever wore , felt cheap and weak and was very rattley . The visor would not latch open and stay to get ventilation on hot rides . The plastic trim attachet to the helmet felt loose and the fisor would vibarate from the wind unless latched all the way closed . Also I had to slam the front down sometimes two or three times to get the chin guard to latch securely . I forced myself to use it for a little over a year before replacing it , I bought it , I was going to use it . When I replaced it with a Multitech it was three days of riding before I realized I wasn't wearing my ear plugs , that big a difference .

Customer service at Nolan was first class , The gasket on the top of the visor got torn while cleaning one day , I called the destributor and had a new one in a couple days . I forgot about the rain , the Nolan had more water inside the visor than outside if I had to ride in the rain and thats after several times trying to adjust the visor . I just gave up on it . SEYA

hi all,
I just bought a Nolan n103, and first ride with it was through a shamal sand storm...now there's bloody dust throughout the internal sun visor and inner shell....scratching everything!!
Did anyone get instructions and tools with their helmets to take the visor and the foam shell out??

I had a 102 for about 1 week, before returning it to get my money back. I have a big head, and the XL was sized so that the chin bar just barely contacted my chin area....I didn't think I'd mind that, but I DID.

I called up Nolan support, and they did say that this was an issue with the larger "AMERICAN STYLE" mellons....he told me to take a baseball, or softball, and roll it round on the eps foam in the rear/back of the head portion of the helmet, to flatten it a bit to make more room for my face.

I thought "yeah, smush the protective eps foam...." sorry, but damaging a helmet's foam to make it fit better didn't jive with me...

I now have a Shoei TZ-R that fit's like it was made for my head [I didn't fit well with the X11 or R1000 - go figure!]

Just got my N103 2 weeks ago. I absolutely wanted to have a flip-up with internal sun visor and pinlock. Not much choice on the market...
I am pretty happy with the helmet, it looks great, the aerodynamic is awesome, visor and sun visor work perfectly, it is not too heavy and it fits extremely good.
Only issue is the noise. I know it depends a lot on the bike, the windscreen, riding position, speed, wind, even clothing....
But still - the helmet "itself" is pretty quiet, the only problem is a lot of noise (wind) coming through between the neck and cin region and the helmet. It's got the wind protection at the chin part already, but still, if I just put my hand in the region between neck and helmet while riding it is absolutely quiet.
That makes me think there must be a possibility to fix that.
2 pages before "francs" was talking about a foam solution. Does anybody have similar problems and maybe a solution?
Any tipps much appreciated!

Cheers,
ABP

__________________Before you judge someone, you should walk a mile in their shoes. That way, when you judge them you are a mile away and you have their shoes.

Just got my N103 2 weeks ago. I absolutely wanted to have a flip-up with internal sun visor and pinlock. Not much choice on the market...
I am pretty happy with the helmet, it looks great, the aerodynamic is awesome, visor and sun visor work perfectly, it is not too heavy and it fits extremely good.
Only issue is the noise. I know it depends a lot on the bike, the windscreen, riding position, speed, wind, even clothing....
But still - the helmet "itself" is pretty quiet, the only problem is a lot of noise (wind) coming through between the neck and cin region and the helmet. It's got the wind protection at the chin part already, but still, if I just put my hand in the region between neck and helmet while riding it is absolutely quiet.
That makes me think there must be a possibility to fix that.
2 pages before "francs" was talking about a foam solution. Does anybody have similar problems and maybe a solution?
Any tipps much appreciated!

Cheers,
ABP

Agree with all your comments for the same reasons and my experiences have been the same.
I have used stick in place felt and foam strips to better seal the shield at the hinge points with some success. Riding and turning your bead will also chane the noise level. Hunching your shoulders changes the air flow around the bottom and back of the helmet changing the noise level as well.

But I think the best solution is ear plugs and now around town errands no ear plugs but for everything else ear plugs fixes the problem.

Agree with all your comments for the same reasons and my experiences have been the same.
I have used stick in place felt and foam strips to better seal the shield at the hinge points with some success. Riding and turning your bead will also chane the noise level. Hunching your shoulders changes the air flow around the bottom and back of the helmet changing the noise level as well.

But I think the best solution is ear plugs and now around town errands no ear plugs but for everything else ear plugs fixes the problem.

Yeah, I'm riding 1000k's a week and always wear earplugs. Otherwise I would probably be deaf by now. But still....

__________________Before you judge someone, you should walk a mile in their shoes. That way, when you judge them you are a mile away and you have their shoes.

..FWIW I have a "long oval" head and wear an Arai Profile while on my Ducati Monster or Honda RC51.

I bought a Nolan N-103 N-Com from RKA Luggage and they installed a J&M Bluetooth headset into the helmet that is custom made for THAT helmet.

While wearing this helmet, riding on my Suzuki V-Strom, with an RKA "In-Charge" tank bag with a Garmin Zumo 550 GPS and Garmin XM Radio attached, I can make and receive cell phone calls, listen to GPS navigation instructions, listen to XM Satellite Radio, listen to MP3s from my phone, or the Zumo, communicate Bike-to-Bike via GMRS or FRS radio, all wirelessly via bluetooth in stereo.

So, the helmet, it fits my head, it is super comfortable on 15 hour rides, my first flip-up lid----really useful feature at bank drive-thrus and stops, the flip down visor is nice, with the stock, clear shield, it gives you the ability to ride all day with shade, and then into the night and have a clear shield.

I just bought the "Dark Green" shield and that, combined with the internal shield gives huge shade on the brightest days riding into the sun.

As to noise levels, I ALWAYS wear ear plugs. I have some custom molded silicon ear plugs that cost me $80 at a BMW motorcycle shop in Houston. With those plugs in my ears, I can hear all the music and NAV prompts without any wind noise. Now this is behind a stock windscreen on a V-Strom.

If I ride with this helmet on my Monster, the wind noise above 80 mph forces the volume levels up too high and listening to music is not fun without a big windshield over 80 mph. 70mph, no problem.

The build quality on my N-103 has been great. I have not had any issues with the helmet.

I am completely satisfied with this helmet. If I'm going on a long ride, this is my "GO TO" helmet.

If I'm just blasting for a Sunday morning on my Monster or RC51, the I reach for my Arai Profile, which also has a J&M Bluetooth Headset on it. It's nice to be able to answer my wife's phone call and let her know when I will be home for dinner.

Earplugs are crucial. With the right earplugs, you can hear traffic, music, NAV, phone, and not go deaf from wind noise.

The N-103 is great, I took the leap and am better for it. This helmet is THE long distance helmet for me now.

I got one about a month ago. Third Nolan, I had two 100Es before this and stuck with Nolan as I really like the combination of flip-up, ratchet strap, and pin-lock fog-free visor. Didn't like the idea of the external visor on the 102.

I ain't too crazy about the 103 though. It's OK and I'll keep it, but if I were to do it again, I'd shop around more. As mentioned many times above, it is loud... quite a bit worse than my 100Es, which as flip-ups, also ain't that quiet.

The other thing that bugs me is the internal visor... it doesn't lock in the up position so hit a good bump and it moves down 20% or so. Maybe my bike doesn't have the best shocks in the world (it really doesn't ), but I have to manually move it back up at least 3-4 times every 100miles.... kinda annoying.

I thought it was just my helmet, but I have tested several other 103s at various shops/locations and they all did the same thing... just hold it in your hands and shake it downwards.

10/10ths, Just a quick note!! It is my understanding and experience with my Zumo 550 and Bluetooth headsets that the Zumo 550 does not transmit XM satelite radio due to the format. Garmin web site verifies this as did a response to an e-mail I sent to Garmin. I was fairly PO because I could pair with my phone and the 550 for music but could not listen to XM. I had to buy a Bluetooth xmitter and plug it into the A/V output and pair the 550 with it.

OK, back to Helmets. I am considering an N103. I have an HJC SY MAX II and the left retainer latch broke. HJC said 2 to 3 weeks for repair. I have two Ralley's this week and next and can't be without it. There are no parts listed on their web page for the SY MAX II. I e-mailed today to determine if I could just by the part and have it overnight shipped.

If they won't help me I may switch to Nolan. I have read several threads commending Nolan's product support and warranty repair. Does anyone know if the BMW System 6 is available in the US?